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Tuesday, September 10, 2013

MCM in the Room - Panton S Chair

Hi again, CT from Living Analog back to round up some images for the Modtometrists of the Panton S Chair. There were so many contenders this week I had a hard time culling the herd. I had to spend many, many hours looking at beautiful pictures of beautiful interiors. First world problems. Now down to business.

I recommend hopping over to Dana's blog Mid2Mod if you want a good bio/background on Verner Panton. Here's the really short version: He's Danish (therefore awesome at furniture) and he began designing the S chair in 1959 and it finally arrived on the market in 1967. All I know is it's a sight for sore eyes.

First of all, can you imagine spending Sunday morning surrounded by these beauties? At St. Bartholomew's Church in the Czech Republic village of Chodovice, that is exactly what happens. The contrast of the simple plastic shape of Panton's chair with the timeworn arches and layered rugs make this space so visually appealing.

White is the color you most often see the Panton chair in -- the neutral color lets the interesting shape of the chair "be the star" as they say. This image below (found via Flickr) piqued my interest because it reminds me a lot of the great MCM homes you can find in the Ridgewood neighborhood here in the suburbs of STL. Although you frequently see the white Panton chairs paired with a white tulip table, sometimes it can be a little too much style overload. Here, balanced out by the nice woodwork and great windows, the white on white combo works well.

Here's another white done right -- Lili Diallo's Brooklyn loft, once featured in the now defunct Domino Magazine. This eclectic mix looks so very lived in and so very fun.

However as much as I love the chic simpicity of the white Panton chair, the black Panton chair is quickly moving its way to the top of my "dream furniture to own" list (Everyone keeps a list like that, right?). It has all the drama and elegance a chair needs and when paired with a simple wood table just about melts my little MCM furniture loving heart. This Melbourne, Australia kitchen as photographed by Richard Powers proves that black is the new, well black. Or it just never goes out of style. Take your pick.

Here's another grouping of gorgeous black Panton chairs, this time surrounded by more traditional architecture and some fun light fixtures. Still does it for me.

What about color? Neutral is my preferred M.O. but I'm no hater. These cheery orange chairs look so happy and chic in this Kvik kitchen ad. Maybe because everything you see here (light fixture, cabinets, rug, table) are all based on Panton designs or designed by the man himself.

Okay, maybe I am a little bit of a hater. The bright colored chairs don't have as many pretty install shots. For the most part you'll usually find Panton S chairs gathered in a dining area but they can look great in other settings as well - like the office area in Italian architect Fuksas Massimilano's home in Paris. (That's a mouthful. And why always Paris? And why don't I live there?) Or hanging out with a guitar (as chairs do, at least at our house) via Desire to Inspire.

Phew. That was a lot of Pantons. Any favorites? Any Modtometrists with an S chair in their house? I'd love to see your pictures too, just so my furniture envy can grow and grow. Cheers - CT

See, I thought you might just be giving us some good natured grief! I'm not a HUGE fan of the late polypropylene units you find 99% of the time (though if found cheap, I will buy them!), but I have a set of four Fiberglass Panton S chairs awaiting restoration. The first two years of Herman Miller / Vitra production of the Panton S chair was done in fiberglass before moving on to other plastics. These? Yes, I'm a HUGE fan of These!